


The Tide Rushes In

by Genie60



Category: Poldark (TV 2015), Poldark - All Media Types
Genre: Child Loss, F/M, Family, Poldark AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-18 19:12:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14858615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Genie60/pseuds/Genie60
Summary: Family time on the beach brings a memory from the past.





	The Tide Rushes In

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little piece of fluff that came to me after walking in the sands in Cornwall and seeing Demelza playing on the beach with the children in the trailer. Totally on the fly and far from perfect but hopefully the emotions carry through. Credit as always to Debbie and Winston...the masterminds of this Poldarkian world.

“Hurry, Mummy. The water is going to catch us.”

Jeremy Poldark was playing keep away at the shore with the white foamy waves. His sister Clowance was not having any of it and chose to stay close to her mother, clinging to her skirts.

“Careful my lover,” Demelza Poldark called. I don’t want to fish you out of the sea like a pilchard.”

The boy stopped where he was, turning to look at the ocean then back at his mother who was smiling brightly. Memories of his birth came to mind as she watched the waves lap at his feet. If any child was the embodiment of their entry into the world it was Jeremy. Like the sea, he was at times calming yet turbulent with just a hint of saltiness. It warmed her heart to see how strong he’d grown; his precarious birth always worried his mother that he’d not develop properly. Clearly, she was wrong.

Wrestling Clowance to the ground, Demelza managed to walk to where Jeremy was and joined him in his taunting of the sea.

“Look mummy! The water can’t catch me!”

The air filled with his giggles and Demelza couldn’t help but join in. Presently her less than happy daughter sidled up to her and dared to bend down to feel the water. The three of them were romping around, oblivious to their surroundings when Jeremy ran off to drier land. As he walked with his head down apparently looking for seashells his eyes saw something peeking out from the sand. Thinking it was a funny kind of shell he moved closer only to find it wasn’t from the sea at all. It was soft, and a dull yellow color. He crouched down and pulled at it. Up came a small piece of fabric. It was barely big enough to wrap around his finger but he kept it anyway. Clutching it tightly in his fist he ran back to his mother.

“Ready to go my love?” Demelza asked.

“If we must,” he said reluctantly.

Demelza reached for his hand and when he opened it to take hers the ribbon fell to the sand.

“What is that?”

Jeremy quickly scooped it up and held it out to her.

“I found it on the beach. See?”

Looking down Demelza got a chill as she recognized the item right away. It was tattered and small with barely a hint of the stitching but she knew exactly what it was.

 

“Julia,” she whispered. Tears sprung to her eyes as a lump formed in her throat.

“Mummy? What’s wrong? Did I do something naughty?”

The boy was distressed at the sight of his mother crying. Not sure what to do he grabbed her skirt but she didn’t notice. Her fingers traced what was left of her first daughter’s name, retracing it over and over. She brought it closer to her so she could see it more clearly when she heard Jeremy’s voice.

“Papa! Something’s wrong with mummy.”

The boy ran to his father who was making his way down the beach.

Ross couldn’t quite hear what his son was saying as the wind fought against them but he did hear the words “mummy” and “wrong”. Concerned that she was hurt he stepped lively to reach them. As he got closer to his wife he saw that she wasn’t hurt but her shoulders were slumped and that she held something in her hand.

“Demelza?”

When she didn’t react his worry grew. He saw Clowance and swept her up in his arms before going to his wife.

“My love, what is the matter?”

Silently she lifted her head and held out her hand. Ross was confused because he couldn’t see what she was showing him at first. And then he recognized the remnants of a name. He said nothing but pulled her into his embrace with the arm not holding his daughter.

“Julia.”

“Julia,” she repeated.

“Where did you...?”

She looked down at Jeremy who now stood between his parents staring up at them.

“I found it, Papa. Is it bad?”

Choked with emotion Ross crouched down and spoke to his son.

“No son. It’s not bad. It’s just something that mama and I hadn’t thought of in a long time. And that’s why mama is sad.”

The boy didn’t quite understand but left it alone.

“Can you be a big boy and take your sister?  I need to talk to mama.”

Jeremy did as his father asked leading his sister away to go play in the sand. Once the children were out of earshot Ross turned back to Demelza who held the worn and fragile piece of ribbon.

“Ross, I can’t believe this,” she said softly.

“Nor I my dear,” he replied.

“What do you think it might mean?”

“Frankly I don’t know that it means anything.  But if I thought like you I’d say our daughter wanted us to know she will always be with us.  Even when we tried to send her on her way.”

Demelza looked at Ross and the tears now streamed down her face.

“Do you think so?”

“I do, my love,” he said pulling her close.

“I should have been with her Ross.”

Ross saw the pain in his wife’s face and knew that nothing he could say would take away that loss.  It didn’t matter that all this time had passed; the pain of Julia’s death still stung as if it were a new wound. So he said nothing. He just held her as his hand joined with hers, both of them touching their daughter’s memento.

“My love, you have always been with her. Just as now she is always with us.”

He looked at their children romping in the distance then turned her towards them as well.

“You were right, Demelza, when you said that having more children would not make us forget Julia.”

She followed his gaze and wiped the tears from her face.  Ross looked at his wife and moved her hands away to clean her face himself.

“Thank you,” she said.

“For what?”

“For this. For our children. For putting up with my emotions,” she said.

“It’s I who should be thanking you Demelza. You’ve given me more than I deserve or should ask for,” he answered.

He kissed her gently before locking eyes with her.

“Actually we should both thank Julia,” she said.

“Let’s take the children home,” Ross said.

Linking her hand with his, the memory of Julia held tight between them, they gathered their offspring and walked home.

**Author's Note:**

> I am forever changed from my trip to Cornwall. Many ideas were released that I don't know where to start so I chose this one. Written in a couple of hours while the rest of my group was climbing St. Michaels Mount. Forgive any imperfections.


End file.
